285. Berlusconi Don’t Go Home and Leave Italy in the Hands of the Prima Donnas
 |
| Members of the Lega Nord in the Lower House Umberto Bossi (second row left) Roberto Calderoli (second row Right) |
Guess what’s
new? They want to send Berlusconi
home! I thought you might laugh at that,
but it really isn’t funny and frankly this non-stop litany of sending
Berlusconi home is doing the country no favours and should this actually occur
it would have disastrous consequences on Italy.
Admittedly, the new leader
of the PDL (Partito della Liberta)
i.e. Berlusconi’s party is ready and waiting in the wings to take over and
although Angelino Alfano is a competent
and reliable politician, he does not however have the power, wealth and backing
that Berlusconi, in spite of all trials and tribulations, fundamentally, still
has.
By getting rid
of Berlusconi, those who so demand it do so without the slightest idea
of what could replace the present government.
You may well say there’s the opposition.
True, but there is not just one opposition in Italy but a series of
oppositions with no one to lead the groups, and no desire for cohesion on
behalf of anyone. What prevails in the
opposition are fragments of parties headed by leaders who speak outright
stating A does not agree with B, B does not agree with C and so on at infinitum
and when it comes to voting, like hell they’ll vote all the same way.
This is not
short sightedness on my part, I am making an informed guess since all this occurred
in 2008 in the present opposition’s 22nd month of strained
government when everything went to pots because the opposition was/is full of “Prima
Donnas” who enjoy their privileged status as MPs which is the envy of the world
since an Italian MP earns over twice as much as one in the UK and three times
that of an MP from Spain; not to mention of course, all the fringe benefits,
travel, medical, housing, and their lavish restaurant meals, cost them a
pittance.
Is it any
wonder, once secured their seat in parliament, whether governing or opposition,
it matters not so long as they get paid, and for a mere 2 years “service” as a
parliamentary be secured a pension ten times the amount I get. That is just for starters, it can become 20,
30 times more depending on the position held, and way beyond that if you were
head of the government .
But more than relying on becoming a governing faction
rather than an opposition, through legitimate electoral majority votes, the
left demand to get rid of Berlusconi so as to become part of a “technical”
government as occurred in 1994 when the Lega Nord left the coalition with
Berlusconi and passed to the opposition within months of the general election. Such a government is nominated by the
President of Italy who chooses whoever he sees fit to form a government with
the inclusion of non-elected individuals too.
For various reasons, namely one either could not agree, or couldn’t care
less what happened, this type of government lasted less than 18 months.
Italy is lucky
to have a present government which in spite of the lack of responsibility of the
opposition to set aside their obsession of upstaging one another as Prima Donnas
and collaborate with proposals (which they don’t, as they have nothing to
propose) during this strenuous world-wide economic crises, is still able to
hold the helm.
What the
present government hasn’t done, which I find 100% disgusting is cut the cost
of politicians’ upkeep, wages, fringe benefits and pensions. Nor has it been tough enough about tax
evasion, there should be confiscation of goods, stricter controls and make tax
evasion a penal offence subject to imprisonment. Gracious me! Italy is probably the only
country with a fully fledged Military Corps- La Finanza- created simply for
that purpose- catching tax evaders, so why is there so much tax evasion of the
big fishes, in Italy???
But apart from such, all that could possibly have been done has
been done. The economic world-crises had
not hit Italy so hard, but now it is feeling the full brunt like other
countries. However, most countries have
been declassified, whatever that may imply, every leader has lost consensus and
demonstrations have arisen against the severe tightening of the purse strings,
it hasn’t just happened to Berlusconi.
Yet other countries behave responsibly, the Americans democratically wait
patiently for the next elections... you’d think Italian politicians would
follow suit.
But it is not
just the politicians in Italy that are beating their empty gongs, just the
other day the head of the Italian Confindustria
(organization of manufacturers) said:
Bologna, 20 set. (TMNews) - "O questo governo è in grado di varare
riforme serie oppure deve andare a casa. È evidente". Lo ha detto la
presidente di Confindustria Emma Marcegaglia.
Which
translated is “This government has to be able to set out serious reforms or it
must go home. That is evident.
And should this
government go home, what happens then? Who fills the void among the
argumentative Prima Donnas of the opposition?
Perhaps the
lady in question should worry more about how to develop these firms of whom
she is the head, as the problem in Italy is precisely this: the economy... it
does not grow, it is not developing- rather than try to do the Prime Minister’s
job.
Meanwhile, the shares at
the Borsa of Milano show the green plus sign today... Italians need to work together – nothing is
gained, but much can be lost by tearing each other apart. And these are not my words, but what the
President of Italy, Georgio Napolitano
is saying.
